Giving In
by BritKit
Summary: Sequal to Temptations. Suoh decides to do something with his recently aquired knowlege. Featuring Sabintha Winner of another site. NokoruSuoh. Rating may change.
1. Chapter 1

BK: Its finally here! Chapter one of my first sequel! happy sigh Well, first solo sequel. Enjoy! I own nothing!

**Giving In**

**Chapter One**

"I can't do this."

Nagisa looks up from her tea and blinks. "Pardon?"

I run a hand through my hair, seeing blue strands settle in my peripheral vision as soon as I finish. "_This_," I repeat. "I can't – I'm sorry, Nagisa-chan, but, I don't...I'm not..." Damn it, why does my normal ease with words have to desert me right now?

Nagisa puts her teacup back in its saucer. "You want to break up." It is not a question, but I answer her anyways.

"Yes," a whisper.

"I thought so."

I look up, and she smiles sadly at me. "I had a feeling it was coming. We've rather fallen out of love, haven't we? Just dating because we've been doing it for so long, rather than out of affection. And you," a sly look, "are starting to feel the age difference."

Ignoring the last comment, I nod. "You feel the same, then?"

"Yes, I do. I realized this was happening quite some time ago."

That takes me by surprise. "You did?"

Nagisa sips her tea and smiles at me. "Oh, yes. You just realized, didn't you?"

"A few days ago," I admit.

"Knew it," she says smugly. She picks up her tea again. "So, Suoh-kun, is there someone else?"

I think immediately of cream skin, gold hair, and eyes like the brightest gems. "No," I say, fighting a blush.

Nagisa gives me an amused look over the rim of her teacup. "Liar."

I scowl, and cut my next bite of cake a tad too forcefully. Nagisa refuses to let the subject drop.

"Come now, Suoh-kun," she chides. "Just because we are no longer boyfriend and girlfriend does not mean I do not have an interest in your life." She smiles at me, a happier one this time. "I do still consider you a friend."

I look up at her and cannot keep the rueful smile off of my face. "I consider you one as well. I would lie to remain friends, even though we dated."

"Wonderful," Nagisa says, and then gives a slow smile that has nothing in it of happiness and everything of affectionate conspiracy. "So..." she purrs, "who's the lucky girl?"

Damn it.

"I told you," I say, feeling my cheeks redden. "There is no one else!"

"Oh, please, Suoh-kun," Nagisa scoffs. "You must have had some sort of epiphany to make you do something about the fact that you were no longer in love with me, and you are a very bad liar. Now talk."

I put my head in my hands and curse the fact that my sense of decorum is so well-ingrained that it will not permit me to swear in front of a lady.

"There is no girl," I mutter.

"I'm sorry," Nagisa says. "What?"

I clear my throat and swallow. "There...is no girl," I say again, louder.

She blinks at me a few times, then leans forward. "Well, that makes this _much_ more interesting."

I stare at her.

Nagisa must have learned to mind read because she takes one look at me and answers the question that I can't seem to voice. "Utako-chan and I decided months ago that the idea of two boys together was actually quite pleasing," she says, matter-of-factly. "So we've been looking around a bit and found some good manga series, but a real relationship is much better."

"I see," I say, even though I really don't.

"So this is no problem at all, but I suppose I should change my question shouldn't I?" She puts her tea down. "Who's the lucky boy?"

I realize, albeit belatedly, that this could go very, very badly, very, very quickly. "Nagisa-chan," I say, "I don't think you understand. There is no relationship, and there never will be."

She frowns at that. "Whyever not?"

I resist the urge to sigh. "Because his parents would never allow it. Because we both have our futures planned, and those plans do not include the two of us as anything more then friends and...Nagisa-chan, there's hundreds of reasons why!"

"And by the sound of them, none of them are very good ones," she says firmly. I gape at her. "Do you know if he likes you back?"

"Yes, he," I swallow, "he does."

"Then you are just looking for a reason not to confess to him, because you're scared," Nagisa gives me an I-am-very-disappointed-in-you look. "Just tell me who it is, please?"

I look down at my hands, and clench them together.

"Nokoru."

Nagisa's gaze softens. "I thought it might be him." When I look at her questioningly, she explains. "A few years after we started dating, I called your mother and asked her to meet me for tea. You had sort of explained the your bond with Nokoru-san, and the reasons behind it, but I had some questions that I wasn't sure that you would answer. So when your mother met me, I asked her to explain the bond more fully, but all she said was that Nokoru-san would always, always, _always_ come first in your life." She takes a sip of tea. "I wonder how many Takamura guards fall in love with their ones?"

I had no answer for her.

She smiles and puts the cup down. "Anyways, as soon as you told me that there was no girl, I had a feeling that Nokoru-san was the one you loved."

I freeze. "Love?"

Nagisa blinks at me. "Yes of course. What else could it be? You don't honestly think that this is just a crush, do you?"

I do not, but am unwilling to admit it and so stay silent.

She sighs, and checks her watch. "You ought to get going. You'll be late for your council duties if you don't."

I stand, and gather my jacket, laying some money on the table for our lunch. Nagisa gets up as well. "Suoh-kun," she says, and I look at her. She hesitates, then speaks. "Suoh-kun, don't be afraid to peruse this. You deserve happiness, you and Nokoru-san both, and I have a hard time believing that the Rijichou will deny Nokoru-san happiness simply because it does not fit in with her plans for him." A sly grin spreads across her face. "And remember, I'm rooting for you!"

There is no polite response for when your now ex-girlfriend tells you that she is all for you getting together with your male best friend so I simply bow and turn to leave. A few steps, and she calls to me.

"Suoh-kun!"

I turn.

Nagisa smiles shyly, and I reflect that the next boy to date her will be very lucky indeed. "Same time next week? For lunch?" she asks.

I am speechless for a moment, and then smile. "Of course."

And we part ways.

When I push open the door of the High School Student Council Room, both Nokoru and Ijyuin are already there. Ijyuin is flipping through papers and fiddling with his calculator, and greets me with a cheerful, "Good afternoon, Takamura-sempai!" as I walk in. I smile and nod at him, and then turn my attention to the back of the room.

Propped up on one elbow, and all his attention on whatever is on the desk in front of him, sits Nokoru. I take a moment to just look. It's a warm day, and the sun coming through the windows turns Nokoru's blond hair into strands of shimmering gold. His eyes are focused not on me, but a book, open in front of him and from this angle all I can see is the length of his lashes and the slightest sliver of blue, beneath them. As I watch, he turns a page (its a manga of some sort) and licks his lips, reddening the bottom one.

I want to kiss him so badly it is almost a physical pain.

Pushing that impulse aside, I drop my jacket and bag at my desk, and then march up to Nokoru's and clear my throat. Loudly.

He jumps, looks up, and immediately beams at me. "Suoh! You're here! How was your date with Nagisa-jo?" Though his eyes are on me, his hands move swiftly, closing the book and tucking it away in a drawer before I can see the title.

"It went fine," I respond, looking at him sternly. "May I inquire as to just why you have not begun your work?"

He waves a hand at me, still beaming. "Oh, come, Suoh, what's a few minutes break? I happened to be at a very good part in my book-"

"Kaichou..." I growl, glaring at him in full. Why must he be so infuriating all the time? "You must stop running away from your responsibilities like this! We're not in elementary school anymore, you will be going to the University next year, and will probably be on the council yet again, and then you will be working for the Rijichou!"

"I know, I know, " Nokoru says, his smile a little sadder. "Soon I will no longer have the choice of just putting things off till tomorrow, so permit me my fun a little longer, hmm? I doubt my secretary under the Rijichou will be as understanding..."

I heave a sigh. I am powerless against those eyes. I send up a small prayer that he never finds that out, or nothing will ever get done. "Get some of your work done, and you can read when Ijyuin brings us a snack."

Nokoru brightens, and sends me another bright smile. "That sounds perfect!" He reaches over, and pulls a stack of paperwork towards him, and I turn and return to my desk. After about an hour of work, there is a knock on the door. Nokoru looks up from his papers and calls out "Come in!"

The door opens and a young woman walks in. Her hair is blond, but more yellow to Nokoru's gold. It is short, with feathery bangs, down over bright teal eyes, a pixie-ish face, and pink-pale lips quirked in a mischievous smile. Nokoru stands.

"Sabintha Winner, of class 3-C. What brings you to our council room?"

Winner-san laughs, and smiles at all of us. "Why to talk to _you_, Nokoru-kun." I bristle at her familiar tone, but Nokoru ignores it.

"I'll get some tea," chirps Ijyuin. Winner-san smiles at him.

"That would be lovely," she says.

When he has left, she turns back to Nokoru. "I've come to extend an invitation, actually."

"For me?" Nokoru asks, moving down from his desk.

Winner-san laughs again. "Yes, of course. There's this little group, see, of some High School students, and a few University students, all single, that get together on Fridays for some snacks, drinks, and a few games."

Nokoru arches an eyebrow. "What _sort_ of drinks and games?"

Winner-san's grin turns sly, and she steps a bit closer. I resist the urge to walk over there and pull Nokoru away. "No alcohol, if that's what you're asking. As for the games, it's the usual. Truth or dare, I never," a little smirk, "seven minutes in heaven." Her grin goes back to bright and sunny, and she bounces on her heels a little. "So, will you join us?"

Nokoru makes a shallow bow. "I am never one to turn down a lady's invitation. I would be happy to."

"Mind if I come along as well?" The words are out of my mouth before I can think to stop them. As both of them turn to stare at me, I feel nervousness begin to take over the jealousy that was so rampant before. Winner-san blinks.

"Um, I'm not too sure that would be such a good idea," Winner-san says, hesitant. "Usually we make sure that everyone in the group is single, so that there aren't any relationship problems, and you are -"

"Single," I say, immensely relived when my voice comes out firmly. I see shock register in every aspect of Nokoru's face. "As of lunch time."

"But you said your date went fine!" He blurts. I swallow.

"It did. Nagisa and I both decided that we weren't in love anymore, and actually hadn't been for a while. So we broke up." I shift a stack of papers into a neater pile, and place it at the corner of my desk. "We're still friends, though."

A slow smile is spreading across Winner-san's face. "Well then, of _course_ you can come! I 'm certainly not going to complain about having two of CLAMP Campus's most eligible bachelors come to our Friday night parties. They're in the High School Student Lounge, we commandeer it for the evening. See you then!" She leaves, and Nokoru and I are still staring at each other.

"You and Nagisa-jo broke up?" He asks.

"Yes."

"You didn't say." He is staring at me, blue eyes confused. I've hurt him. I look away.

"It would have distracted you, and I've known this was coming for quite some time, so I'm not particularly broken up about it. I didn't think it was necessary. " I can feel his gaze on me still. Damn it, damn it, damn it! Why is it when I've hurt him I always feel it myself? "I was going to tell you on the way home. After we'd finished. I wasn't," I swallow. "I wasn't trying to keep it from you."

"I still wish you had told me," Nokoru says, walking back behind his desk. "Why did you break up?"

I swallow again, and fiddle with the papers I am holding. "I already said. We realized weren't in love anymore, and were merely dating out of habit. So we broke up." I pause, and look over at him. "We're still meeting for lunch on Thursdays, though."

He is not looking at me, but down at his desk, and is toying with the handle of one of the drawers. "Suoh..." he says suddenly, with the look on his face that tells me he is doing something he feel is necessary, but doesn't want to do, "I should warn you."

I arch an eyebrow. "Warn me?"

Nokoru sighs. "Sabintha-san is well known throughout my grade for her...interesting tastes." At my blank look, he elaborates. "She is a self-proclaimed yaoi fangirl, and has both the nerves and the books to prove it. If she is the organizer of this...gathering," he blushes slightly, and I cannot help but stare, "then there is likely to be some sort of activity of that nature."

He's trying to warn me that an impish blond 12th-grader who is organizing parties for singles has a thing for seeing two (undoubtedly handsome) boys together. And I just agreed to come. No wonder she didn't argue.

I turn back to my desk. "Thats fine, " I say. "It doesn't bother me." I feel Nokoru's eyes move immediately from his desk to my back. I've confused him, poor boy.

"It doesn't? Wait- don't answer that question, it's not important." Very confused. This is more flustered then he was when I walked in on him. "Suoh- I don't think you understand! She's probably going to dare you to...to," Nokoru stammers, "_do_ things with another boy! Maybe even me!"

I tap the stack of papers on its end, neatening. "Thats fine."

"It _is_?"

"What is?" asks Ijyuin, who has just entered the room. "Did Winner-san leave?"

"Yes," I answer, ignoring the first question. "But I would like some tea."

He hands it to me with a beaming smile, and I glimpse Nokoru, gaping at me. "Get back to work, Kaichou," I reprimand him, and return to my desk.


	2. Chapter 2

BK: Hullo, everyone, I'm back. I'm sorry this took so long to do, but I've been really busy. Standard disclaimer as always applies.

Giving In

Chapter Two

Seven fifty Friday night finds me leaning against the wall outside the High School Building. I am waiting for Nokoru. When Ijyuin left to gather cake and drinks, Nokoru told me that Winner-san's party would start at eight. I immediately asked him to meet me at the north entrance at seven fifty. I'd rather skip the whole thing than show up alone. I can handle kidnappers, I can handle assassins, but the delicate etiquette of teenage parties (especially those of this nature) escapes me.

Very soon, a car pulls up, and Nokoru steps out. He is still in his uniform, although he has shed the jacket and tie, leaving only the slacks and the white dress shirt. He looks fantastic, and I feel slightly relieved. I hadn't been sure of the dress for this sort of ting, and as such had just lest my uniform on. At least I wasn't the only one. Nokoru walks over tho me, a nervous smile on his face. "Good evening, Suoh."

I bow. "Good evening, kaichou." I turn and open the door, walking into the building. Nokoru follows.

"You needn't call me that when we're not on duty, Suoh," he says, looking around. "'Nokoru' is fine. My this place looks different at night."

"It does," I agree, turning a corner, "and calling you 'Nokoru' is a bit familiar for a bodyguard, isn't it?"

He frowns at that. "Suoh, you're my best friend. I've known you since third grade. I rather think that entitles you to call me by my first name."

He's right. We don't exactly have the usual bodyguard-client relationship, especially considering he's in love with me, and I very well may be...let's not go there. I swallow. "As you will...Nokoru-san."

Nokoru looks at me, surprised, and then his face spreads into a slow smile. He looks away, still smiling to himself. Up a flight of stairs and around another corner and we arrive at the student lounge. Nokoru walks in ahead of me, a small smile still playing along his lips. I steel myself and walk in.

The student lounge is, like everything else on CLAMP campus, fairly luxurious. It is a large room, with one wall (on my right) with large windows, stretching from a few feet off the floor, almost all the way to the ceiling, it is offset by poles every ten feet or so. There are window seats, with cushions along the bottom, between the poles. The center of the room is a mix of comfortable couches and chairs, generally in clusters, and sometimes around low coffee tables. The couches and chairs are dark blue, the floor is carpeted. The wall to my left is a conglomerate of cabinets, bookshelves, and a few counters, as well as a sink and a microwave. There are seven other people in the room, three boys, four girls. One of the girls, and two of the boys are from the University. Everyone is dressed differently. Sabitha-san is still in her uniform, and two of the boys (one high school, one university) are dressed like Nokoru, in just the shirt and slacks. Two of the other girls wear skirts, one is in loose slacks. The girls are clumped together on one of the couches and a chair. The boys are more spread out. Two of them lean against the counter tops, talking quietly. The last is sitting in the biggest 'clear space' in the room, were the chairs and coffee table have been pushed back to form a large circle-like area. This is clearly where the games are to be played.

He is sitting on the floor, his legs stretched out in front of him, weight behind him, resting on his palms. He is wearing non-uniform slacks, and a collared shirt. His hair is red, and longish, although probably not long enough to pull back in any way. He is fairly good looking, I suppose. He seems to possess the sort of 'bad boy' appeal that some girls like, or so I hear. He has an aura of absolute confidence and smugness around him. He shifts a bit, and tosses his head, probably to get his bangs out of his eyes. A flirt, that one. He makes me edgy. I do not recognize him, he is from the university and is probably several years above me, so I cannot fathom why I feel such inherent dislike. Then I register his expression.

And who it is aimed at.

He is eying Nokoru in a way that can only be described as predatory. Like a wolf that's just seen a particularly easy catch. My hackles go up and before I know it I am glaring at him with everything I have. It is enough for him to pull his eyes from Nokoru and cast them over me. He gives me an assessing glance, smirks and my glare, and returns his attention to Nokoru, who is now talking to Sabitha-san. Oh, that rotten little...

"Suoh-kun!" Sabitha-san is beaming at me and waving me over to where she is standing with the group of girls. Introduction time. Lovely. I give the smirking boy one last glare and then warily walk over to the group. Nokoru is already in deep conversation with one of the girls. He clearly missed the entire exchange between myself and...him.

"Good evening, Winner-san," I say politely when I arrive.

"Oh, none of that!" She flaps a hand at me, beaming. "That's much to formal. You can call me Sabitha, I don't mind, and these are Mizuki, Yukimi, and Hanajima." She waves to the other girls in turn. I bow, and look them over. Mizuki is the only girl in pants, leaning against the arm of a couch. She has waist length black hair, and black eyes. She is about four inches shorter than me, and just cocks an eyebrow when I bow. Yukimi is more of the cheerleader type, her hair is shorter, with fluffy layers and bangs, she's in a shorter skirt, and a collared short sleeve shirt, and is sitting next to Mizuki. Hanajima seems quiet and bookish, she is wearing the school uniform, her hair in two braids, and slim glasses on her nose. She is the only one who returns my bow. Sabitha continues her introductions. "The boys are over there, being unsocial, that's Shuichi and Yusuke over by the counter and..." As Sabitha glances around the room, presumably in search of the boy I was observing earlier, I take in these new additions. Shuichi's hair is long, coming to mid back, and pulled into a sleek half ponytail. I can't see his eyes, as his back is to us, he's talking to the other boy, Yusuke. Yusuke has short hair, and is in a plain t-shirt and jeans. He's other high school student, as Shuichi is wearing the university uniform. "There he is!" Sabitha says happily, moving over towards the space. "Kei, you rat, don't hide when I'm trying to introduce people!"

So his name is Kei.

Nokoru blinks. "Keisuke Yukimura?"

The newly named Kei smiles, slow and dangerous. He looks up at Nokoru, who has walked over to join Sabitha. "The one and only. I must admit, Nokoru-chan, I never expected someone like _you_ to show up for something like _this_. Aren't you a bit well-bred for it?"

Nokoru's cheeks go pink at the pet name, but he lifts his chin a bit and answers calmly. "Sabitha-san was kind enough to invite me to join, and I am never one to turn down an invitation from a lady."

Kei chuckles at that, and lazily pats the floor next to him. "I'm not sure Sabitha is what you'd call a lady but if that's your excuse, I wont refute it. Even school-presidents-to-be are allowed some fun, I suppose. Come sit."

Nokoru's cheeks are a definite shade of pink by this point, but he crosses the room and sits down next to Kei, tucking his feet up under him. Kei's smile widens, and he moves closer to Nokoru, until their hips are only centimeters apart.

I resist the urge to stab him with my kunai.

Sabitha watches the two of them with a little grin on her face. She claps her hands. "Let's get started, shall we?" There are murmurs of assent, and the group moves to the open space where Kei and Nokoru are sitting. Hanajima sits down on the other side of Nokoru, who smiles at her, and Mizuki drops onto Hanajima's other side. Yusuke sits on the other side of Kei and Yukimi immediately crosses the room to sit down next to him and, upon seeing me still standing, tugs on my sleeve until I sit next to her. Shuichi slides in on my left, shooting me a small smile as he does so. It is a friendly smile, not flirtatious, and so I smile back. Sabitha moves to stand between Mizuki and Shuichi. We are now in a loose circle.

"Alright," she says. "What should we do first?"

"How about 'I never'?" suggests Hanajima. I take back the quiet part. "It'd give us a chance to learn a little more about our newbies." I blink. I recall Sabitha mentioning it as a game but quite frankly I have no idea how to play.

"Excellent idea, Hana-chan!" Sabitha chirps. "I'll go get glasses, Mizuki, could you find us some drinks?" Mizuki nods, and they both leave, Sabitha with a parting "Play nice!" as she goes out the door. Hana turns around and starts talking to Nokoru, and Yukimi, Yusuke and Kei start talking amongst themselves as well. I'm still completely confused, so I lean over and say softly to Shuichi, "What is 'I never'? And why do we need drinks?"

Shuichi gives me another little smile, and says in a low voice. " 'I never' is a drinking game. You go around in a circle, and everyone says something they've never done. Anyone who _has_ done it takes a shot. We us soda, though, because Sabitha was raised Muslim and doesn't allow alcohol. Not to mention how much trouble we'd get in for drinking on campus." He pauses. "We don't have actual shot glasses, either. We use sake cups from Yukimi's house. Her parents own a bar-slash-restaurant in Tokyo.

I nod. "Thank you."

He smiles again. "Anytime."

At that point, Sabitha and Mizuki arrive. Sabitha is holding a small tray with nine mis-matched sake cups. Mizuki has a large bottle of soda, and a smaller container of juice. "Drinking soda quickly can be a bit uncomfortable," she explains when Yusuke asks. Drinks are passed out and I risk a glance at Nokoru. He is chewing on his lip and looks a little bit nervous, but determined.

Sabitha looks around the circle and smiles. "Everyone know the rules? Everyone ready? Okay, who wants to start?"

A few rounds later, Nokoru's cup is still sitting untouched in front of him. I have only drunk once, when Yukimi claimed to have never kissed a girl. The game seems to have hit a lull, as the rest of the group already knows everything the others have done, and Nokoru and I are not providing much in the way of entertainment. Hana eyes Nokoru's glass, and then Nokoru.

"You don't get out much, do you?" she says wryly.

"Not really," Nokoru admits. "Should I have said something?"

"It's fine, "says Mizuki, a mischievous glint in her eye. "It just means we have to change it. Truth or dare, anyone?"

_This_ game, I know.

"Mizuki, my dear," drawls Kei, "you read my mind."

Sabitha gazes around the circle, another one of those little smiles on her face. "Alright. Everyone put your cups on the table, we don't want to spill. I'll start, this time round." I pass my cup to Shuichi when he asks for it, and he puts it on the coffee table behind us. Meanwhile, Sabitha has turned her attention to Nokoru. "Nokoru," she purrs, "Truth or dare?"

uh-oh.

"Umm..." he hesitates. "Truth."

Sabitha sighs. "That's no fun. Very well. All of your self-dubbed fangirls claim that you treat all girls exactly the same. Is it true that there is _no_ one on campus who has caught your eye?"

I hold my breath. Will he lie? He wouldn't, but if he says 'no' they'll bother him for the rest of the game about who it is and--

"No."

Yukimi's mouth drops open. "You're kidding! Who?"

Nokoru lifts his chin a few centimeters and says sweetly, "Sabitha-san just asked if it was true or not, not who." He smiles. "So I don't think I'll be answering that question just now, Yukimi-san. Hanajima-san, truth or dare?"

I relax a bit, now that Nokoru has successfully evaded the question. I'm beginning to have second thoughts about coming here. I've suddenly realized that this game could get very dangerous, very quickly. Crud.

"Suoh!"

I jump. Mizuki is looking at me. Actually, all of them are looking at me. I feel my stomach twist with nervousness. "Yes?"

She smirks. "Truth or dare?"

Damn it.

Decisions, decisions. Truth is safer, but could cause worse dares later on. On the other hand, I don't know Mizuki that well, she's in Nokoru's year, and one of the few whom, as far as I know, don't belong to any particular fanclub. So, I have no idea what she may ask me to do. Decisions, decisions. Truth or-

"Sometime within this century, please," says Mizuki.

"-dare." Shi-!

She smirks wider. "Kiss Shuichi."

"What?" I squawk.

Someone giggles. I can feel my cheeks heating up. "Kiss Shuichi," Mizuki repeats, and grins. "On the _lips_."

Hell. I should have known this would happen. I glance at Shuichi from the corner of my eye. He's not bad-looking, per se, but...my eyes wander...he's not Nokoru. Oh, well. I guess I should just get it over with. I shift so that I am sitting angled towards him, and realize he's smirking at me. I scowl and lean forward. Shuichi lifts one hand, and moves it behind my head, tugging me towards him. I lose my balance, and throw my hands out to catch myself. I end up kneeling with one hand on either side of his thighs, and our noses only centimeters apart. I freeze.

His eyes are very, very, green. It's a bit unnerving actually. I wonder if he has contacts. Shuichi seems to lose patience with me, rolls his eyes, and pulls me foreward.

Umm...

Kissing is much more interesting when both parties participate.

Slight friction, breath across my cheek. Oh yeah, breathing. Mm...he smells nice too. Like the gardens at obaa-san's, wet earth and flowers...One last lick across my bottom lip, and he pulls away, looking smug. I blink. "Umm..."

"Not so bad, huh?" Shuichi murmurs, still that smug _smirk_, damn him, if my brain was connected to my body I'd be glaring. It's not, and I shake my head no.

He pets the back of my neck a bit, and I realize I ought to sit back down. I do, and Shuichi's hand runs over my shoulder and cheek before returning to rest at his side. I shake my head a bit, trying to clear it, because it's my turn to dare someone and I really ought to be thinking about that and not ho I really wouldn't mind crawling into Shuichi's lap and getting another kiss or two, even if he isn't Nokoru, and oh, god, if its that good with someone I don't have a crush on what will it be like if it's with someone I do?

Somehow I dare Yusuke to kiss Yukimi. Not too sure how I manage it. Then Mizuki kisses Kei, and Hana kisses Yusuke, and Yukimi kisses Shuichi (lucky lucky girl) at which point it becomes clear I've started a trend, and then-

"Nokoru," says Yukimi sweetly. "Truth or dare?"

Nokoru freezes. He clearly does not want to pick dare, but if he picks truth Yukimi will definitely call him on who it is he likes, so he doesn't really have a choice. He swallows. "Dare."

Yukimi pouts, then grins. "French-kiss Kei."

Oh, _hell_, no-

Nokoru turns bright red. Yusuke wolf whistles. Yukimi eyes Kei. "You _owe_ me," she says stubbornly.

Kei, damn him, is not looking at her, but instead at Nokoru. "Indeed I do," is all he says. My eyes are boring holes into the side of his head. He doesn't notice. I up my glare a few notches. _Mine_.

Nokoru is fidgeting, glancing over at Kei and then looking down again. "_Now_, Nokoru," says Yukimi impatiently. He flushes, and turns so he's facing Kei. Nokoru chews on his lip a bit, still not meeting Kei's eyes, and then Kei takes one hand and runs it from Nokoru's knee to his hip, leans forwards and kisses him.

I see red. My hands clench.

Kei takes that same hand, and moves it to push on Nokoru's chest. Nokoru leans backwards, catching himself on his hands, and then at Kei's insistence, lies down. Kei moves so that he has one leg on either side of Nokoru, and is on his hands and knees above him.

I wonder if my nails have drawn blood yet.

Nokoru is still on his back, his hands resting on Kei's shoulders, lashes fluttering every now and then as he lets Kei kiss him. Then Kei moves one hand from the floor to brush along Nokoru's side, and Nokoru pulls away with something akin to a squeak. He is flushed, lips bruised, and clearly very embarrassed. Kei licks his lips, eyes locked with Nokoru's, before he straightens up and returns to his seat, legs stretched out in front of him, weight resting on his hands. Nokoru gets up more slowly, tucking his feet under him, back into the kneeling position he was in before.

My fists relax.

I do not know what happens in the game for some time. This never happened with Nagisa. This...jealously. I want Nokoru all to myself, I want to beat the living crap out of _Kei_ for daring to put his hands on _my_ Nokoru. I'm not sure if I like this. It's a loss of control, of reason. It's a very different side of me. I never knew I was "the jealous type" or possessive. Nokoru isn't even really _mine_ yet, no matter how much it feels like he is.

"-oh"

I'm going to have to tell him. Subtly. I _don't_ have the guts to just walk up to him and say "I love you" but how-?

"Suoh!"

I jump (again) and look up to find everyone staring at me (again). I flush. "Yes?"

Sabitha gives me an amused look as she does up the last few buttons on her blouse. It vaguely occurs to me to wonder just what exactly I've missed. "Dare or dare?"

Wait a minute... "Aren't I supposed to get a choice?" She just smiles sweetly. I take that as a 'no'. "Dare, then."

Sabitha smiles wider. "Kiss Nokoru."

I freeze.

"What?" Nokoru yelps.

"You heard me," is all she says.

"But, but - we _can't_ it's - Sabitha-san!" Nokoru's eyes are wide, he is leaning forward, his posture almost begging. Some part of my brain that isnt in shock deduces that it is not that Nokoru doesn't want to kiss me, he does, but that he's afraid of something else. Probably that I'll figure out what he feels for me, or some such thing. I know what _I'm_ afraid will happen. I'm afraid once I start kissing him, I won't be able to stop. I also know this chance is _exactly_ why I came. I get up, silently. Nokoru is still rambling, but stops when he realizes I'm standing in front of him. His eyes are panicked, desperate. I drop to my knees, tuck my feet up under me, and sit. Nokoru swallows, then licks his lips. "Um...Suoh-"

I reach up, slide my fingers across his cheek and over, to tangle in the strands of hair at the nape of his neck. "Kaichou," I say, much calmer then I feel. "Shut up."

And then I kiss him.

His lips are warm, and a little bit wet. He freezes up at first, shoulders stiff, hand clenched on his thighs. He seems determined not to react. I let my hand play with his hair, and move the other to the floor, tilt my head, and gently open my mouth to suck on his bottom lip. That does it. Whatever control or resolve was keeping him from reacting to me is gone. I hear a sharp intake of breath, and then a quiet little moan as Nokoru _finally_ leans forward and opens his mouth to me. I twine my hand a bit more firmly in his hair and pull him to me, as I slip my tounge into his mouth. He tastes sweet. Like tea and that cake Ijyuin brought in this afternoon. I can smell him too, shampoo, and a bit of sweat, and paper, like the council room. Warmth blooms on my thigh, and the slight pressure lets me know that Nokoru has rested a hand there. The other comes up and brushes along my cheek, warm.

We spend what feels like hours, but was probably only seconds, trapped like that. Then slowly, achingly, he pulls away, just until our lips disconnect. I open my eyes and his face is so close to mine, eyes half open, just a sliver of the brightest blue, his fingers still rest on my cheek. On impulse, I lean forwards and quickly capture his lips with mine for a few, precious moments. I can feel his surprise, but I pull away before the kiss can deepen. When I open my eyes again, he is staring at me, questions in his gaze. I swallow, untangle my hand from his hair, stumble to my feet, and return to where I was sitting. No one has said a word. They appear to be in shock.

"Hana," I say horsely, then clear my throat.

She jumps. "Yes? Oh. Truth, I suppose."

"Name all the people you've ever kissed."

As she starts listing, I relax into the background. That was...incredible. I can still taste him. Tea and creme and...someone is staring at me. I focus my attention and realize it is Kei. He is not glaring, or teasing but...assessing. As though his staring at me will answer some question. I catch his eyes and glare. _What the hell are you looking at me for?_ He smiles slightly, leans back, and slides his gaze to Nokoru (who is pointedly _not_ looking at me) and back, one eyebrow raised. _Shit_. I can't have him guessing. I up my glare a notch, and then turn away, ignoring him. It will do for now. There are a few more (relatively uneventful) rounds, and we finish up for the night. The group disperses, and I walk Nokoru to where a car is waiting. He does not speak and neither do I. The car drives off and I turn towards my own home. For sleep, at last.

_I know what __**I**__ will dream of tonight._


	3. Chapter 3

BK: I am so utterly beyond sorry that it took me this long to get a chapter out, I am also very sorry that it is mostly filler. I have started chapter four, I will try to work on it. For those of you in high school, I have some advice: do not, do not, do NOT, under any circumstances, take three AP courses if you wish to have a) a social life b) low stress levels or c) time to write fanfiction.

I don't own anything but the plot.

Chapter Three

I spend a restless night. I dont think I slept more than a few hours. Needless to say, I am not prepared for whatever today may bring. I do not know if this is good or bad. I do not know if Nokoru will ask me about last night. I do not know what I will say if he does. Classes are over and I am delaying on my way to the council room. Eventually, I get there. And then promptly spend a good five minutes standing outside it trying to make myself enter.

I am a coward.

I push open the door, and go into the room. "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, Takemura-sempai!" chirps Ijyuin. He is already at his desk, fingers sailing over calculator keys, and flipping through various folders. My eyes move to the back of the room.

"Good afternoon, Suoh." His smile is shyer than normal, and he will not meet my eyes for more than a few seconds. I relax, a bit. Embarrassment is alright. I can deal with that. The afternoon progresses as usual, each of us going about our appointed tasks. Nokoru actually _works_ for once. He is leery of interacting with me, it seems, and his working gives me few reasons to talk to him. Then break time arrives and, as usual, Ijyuin leaves to fetch tea and snacks, and Nokoru and I are left alone.

The silence is deafening. I cannot stand it.

"Kaichou, are you...alright?" _Are you mad? Are we okay? What happens now?_

Nokoru smiles at me. "Yes, I'm fine. Just a bit tired. Why do you ask?"

"You were working," I deadpan.

His lips twitch. He is holding back laughter, I can tell. "It's not that strange."

"Yes, kaichou, it is."

He looks at me this time, really looks at me for the first time since last night. "I thought I told you to call me Nokoru." His eyes are warm, friendly. I relax. We're back to normal. "It's not like you to forget."

Crud. I tense up again. "It wasn't that I forgot, exactly..."

He frowns. "Then what was it?"

I move my gaze to the floor and say quietly, "I wasn't sure if that permission still held."

"Suoh," Nokoru says, exasperated. "Why on earth wouldnt it?"

"Because of last night."

He frowns deeper, at that. "Because of- drat. And I'd meant to apologize about that too."

My head shoots up to stare at him. "Apologize?"

He smiles a bit sadly. "Yes, for not talking to you on our way out. Is that what caused this?"

I blink. "A..a bit, yes." That and my paranoia.

Nokoru smiles again, warmer this time. "Well I'm not mad, or upset, so don't worry about either. Will you come to the park with me later?"

"Yes," I reply, and then Ijyuin returns and we eat.

Late afternoon finds us meandering along the paths of a park close to campus. We walk in silence, but it is comfortable. I'm usnsure of where Nokoru is leading me, but am content to follow. Eventually we come upon an open area surrounded by trees with benches, and a fountain in the center. It is rather like an open-air pavillion. It is also deserted. Nokoru moves towards on of the benches and sits, dropping his school bag on the ground. I sit next to him and wait. He fidgets a bit.

"Suoh," he says finally.

"Yes?"

"Are you really alright with everything?"

This again. "Yes."

"You're sure?"

I lean back and look at him. "Yes, I'm sure. I wouldn't say so if I wasn't. Why are you so curious?" Normally he takes me at my word.

Nokoru sighs. "It's just, you've never shown any indication that you...well..."

"Didn't mind kissing guys?" I finish.

"Yes."

I sit for a minute, trying to come up with an answer that doesn't boil down to 'I'm only going to the damn parties so I can kiss _you_, I don't care about the others.' "I've never had a reason to before," is all I can think of.

He looks at me odly. "Reason to what?"

"Kiss guys."

He laughs, and then quiets. "You never really explained why you and Nagisa-jo broke up."

I turn my gaze from him to look out over the pavilion. "I guess I just figured out that I wasn't in love with her. We'd been dating so long that it was just a habit, as opposed to romance. I still care for her, and she for me, but somwhere that care changed to more of a brother-sister affection. We figured it out, decided that there wasn't really any point in dating if we weren't in love, and broke up."

Nokoru thinks about this for a bit. "I guess that explains why you weren't upset."

I relax against the bench, and tilt my head back to look at the sky. "I suppose." Something then occurs to me. "Nokoru-san?"

"Yes?"

I hesitate. "Are _you_ alright with it?"

"With what?"

I shift again so that I can look at him. "Are you okay with my being at the parties?"

He opens his mouth to answer, and then pauses. "Kind of," he says finally. "I was mostly surpriesed that you'd even consider the idea. Now I'm just worried about the effect it may have on our friendship."

"What kind of effect?"

Nokoru sighs. "I'm worried things may become awkward, like they were this morning, except all the time."

I think about it. "Did you...not like kissing me?"

He goes red. It's adorable. "I...well..._yes_, I liked it, but that's hardly the point!"

"That's exactly the point," I say calmly. "I liked it too. You're not interested in girls, are you Nokoru-san?"

He's staring at me now, compleatly speachless. That's the second time in only a few days. It must be some sort of record. Eventualy, he whispers, "How do you know that?"

"I think I'd guessed, at some point, but then..." _then you kissed me and whispered you loved me and now its certain._ I shrug. "I don't know, after the party, I guess I just put the last few puzzle pieces in. I don't mind, if you're concerned about that."

He relaxes a little, and we are quiet. After a few minutes, I ask another question. "Is there anyone you like?" I'm pushing my luck, but maybe he'll...

"Yes, but he doesn't know."  
The _hell _ I don't.

"Why not?"

He laughs ruefully. "Because I was certain I didn't have a chance with him. And noone knows about my...preferences, well, except you, now. I didn't see the point."

"You haven't told Rijouchou?"

He shakes his head. "No. I'm too scared. Besides, I've known since I was born that she has plans for me."

Well, that's not going to help our situation. "You should tell her." Nevermind the fact I've yet to tell _my_ mother...

Nokoru smiles sadly at me. "Why? The chances of the boy I like liking me back are almost nonexistant."

Damn it, I was all over him last night, and he still thinks it's nonexistant?! "But," I hedge, "..if he did?"

He sighs. "If he did and if he persued me, then yes, I think I would tell her. If I was certain I had a chance to be with him."

"Promise me," I say.

He looks at me odly again. "And just why, Suoh, are you so interested?"  
Crap, I wen't to far. "I want you to be happy," I blurt, and then collect my thoughts and continue. "If you're given a chance, promise me you'll take it."

Nokoru laughs. "Fine, Suoh. I promise.


	4. Chapter 4

BK: at long last, chapter four. I don't own.

Chapter Four

The rest of the week passes normally, my lunch with Nagisa goes well, and is actually better then some in the past. We are both more relaxed. I do not, however, tell her about the Friday night parties. There is another one tonight and I am nervous. I don't know what will happen. I get the feeling that Sabitha-san and the others were holding back on us last week, and after she asked me to kiss Nokoru, that's going to give the others some...ideas. We chose to meet at the party this time, as opposed to arriving together, and when I get there, he has not yet shown. Shuichi is there, though, stretched out on a couch, reading. I sit down in a chair across from him, and he looks up. "You're early," he says. And it's true. The only other person there is Hana-san, sitting at one of the tables with earphones in and doing homework. She hasn't noticed my arrival.

"I didn't really have anywhere to be," I admit. "I've finished my homework, and council duties, and I don't have any clubs on Fridays."

Shuichi turns a page in his book. "And will Nokoru-san be joining us tonight?"

I blink. "I believe so. Why do you ask?"

He smiles. "Well, last time you arrived together. Trouble in paradise?"

"We're not dating," I blurt.

"I didn't say you were," says Shuichi calmly, but he has a _look_ in his eye that can't mean anything good. And I'd hoped to keep my crush private..."You certainly seemed to enjoy that kiss..."

I scowl at him. "And? What of it?"

He smiles a little more. "Friends that kiss like that, dare or no, don't tend to remain 'just friends' for long."

My scowl deepens. "What are you-?"

I do not finish my sentence because at that moment, the door swings open and the remainder of our group tumbles in. Sabitha and Mizuki are chattering loudly, while Yusuke and Yukimi converse quietly behind them. Kei and Nokoru bring up the rear, Kei's hand resting on the small of Nokoru's back. Instantly, I am on edge. How _dare_ he. I almost stand, though to do what I don't know, but then I catch Shuichi's amused look and force myself to sit back down. Noise fills the room. Hana is drawn into conversation, and Yusuke pulls Kei away from Nokoru to help shift the furniture around. They pick up the chair Yukimi is sitting in and carry it across the room as she shrieks and laughs. Shuichi closes his book and moves to the cleared space. I follow. Within minutes we are again sitting in a loose circle, in much the same positions as last time. I catch Nokoru's eye and he smiles warmly at me. I return it, and then Sabitha is clapping her hands for attention. "Alright," she says. "Tonight I thought we'd start off with truth or dare, since it went _so_ well last time."

I knew it.

"Shuichi," Sabitha continues, "why don't you start?"

He smiles, lazy and mischievous. "Alright. Suoh-kun, truth or dare?"

"Truth," I say promptly. No way and I starting out with a dare.

Shuichi's smile widens. "By all appearances, you seemed to enjoy kissing Nokoru last week. Do you want to do it again?"

Damn him. "Yes," I grind out, "I do want to kiss him again." And again and again and again, but that doesn't mean I want the whole school to know! Yukimi titters a bit, and Sabitha and Mizuki exchange glances. Nokoru is bright red. I do not look at Kei. "Yukimi, truth or dare?"

She smiles sweetly at me. I suppress a shudder. "Truth," she says calmly, and I decide to be evil.

"I've noticed you following Yusuke around, do you-"

"Changed my mind!" she squeaks, cheeks bright red. "Dare!"

"Oy!" says Yusuke. "You can't do that!"

"Can too. Dare me, Suoh."

I decide to go along with it. "Fine. Kiss him. _Slowly_." Yusuke abruptly stops complaining. It appears both parties are satisfied, and all is well. That is, until Yukimi turns to me with revenge in her eyes.

"Suoh-kun," she purrs. Oh, hell. Maybe I shouldn't have asked her about that..."Dare or dare." I groan silently.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Well..." oh, now she looks positively devilish. "Since you had me kiss the person I've been following around, how about you kiss the person you've been following around. French kiss." She grins. "And _slowly._"

Nokoru doesn't bother protesting this time. I suppose he's realized that it doesn't do any good. So, when I kneel in front of him again, instead of panicked, he is relatively calm, although I can see signs of nervousness in his eyes and hands. And this time, when I lean in to kiss him, he doesn't fight me. I cup my hand round the back of his neck again, curling my fingers through his hair. He tilts his head and opens his mouth and I slip my tounge in. His arms come up and hesitantly twine around my shoulders and pull me closer. I acquiesce, shifting forwards, and, in a moment of boldness, slide my other arm around his waist to rest at the small of his back. I pull away from the kiss slightly, long enough for us both to breathe, then move back in. This time I _feel_ the shiver that runs up his spine when I run my fingers through his hair and curl my tounge around his.

It ends all too soon, but when I pull away and return to my seat, his eyes stay locked on mine. I swallow heavily and force my focus back to the game. "Mizuki," I say quietly, "Truth or dare?"

"Um, truth."

"Is your crush in this room?"

"No," She looks back and forth between Nokoru and I, and settles on him. "Nokoru, truth or truth?"

"Thats not exactly a question." His voice is distracted, eyes still staring into mine.

"Doesn't matter," she says calmly. "How badly do you want Suoh to kiss you again?"

He licks his lips. "Very, very badly." His voice is just above a whisper. I can't look away. "Suoh, truth or -"

He doesn't finish his sentence because the moment he says my name I am up and moving. In seconds I am back in front of him and have my arms around his waist. Another breath and my mouth is on his. This time there is no hesitation as Nokoru's arms go around my neck and pull me towards him. I follow, closer, closer, until he is lying back on the floor with me kneeling on top of him, similar to the way he was with Kei last week. Except different. I crawl over him, his legs spread and I hover between them. His hands run over my shoulders and arms as I run mine over his sides, and even once across his hip to his thigh and back. I can hear him breathing, feel his hands tighten as I twine my tounge with his. We stay like this, curled around each other, until someone coughs.

And coughs again.

I (reluctantly) untangle myself from Nokoru and look back at Sabitha. She is all but grinning and I feel heat rise in my face. She arches an eyebrow at me and I scowl back. "Well," says Hana, sounding amused. "That was new." Both Nokoru and I are bright red at this point, and I get up and return to my seat. By the time I am settled, Nokoru is sitting up and composed, except for the flush on his cheeks and lips and the way he keeps glancing at me. Everyone is staring at us. Sabitha clear her throat and the group (again, reluctantly) turns their attention to her.

"Since I have the feeling that permitting Suoh to lead the game will result in our getting nowhere, I will lead. Yusuke, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Leave your shirt off for the remainder of the game." I'm surprised. For Sabitha, that's awfully tame. Yusuke, however, whines about it anyways.

"What if I get cold?" He says petulantly.

"Think of it as an excuse to cuddle up to Yukimi," says Shuichi wryly. There are a few quiet chuckles, and Yusuke grins as he takes off his t-shirt.

"Alright," he says, leaning forward and rubbing his palms together. "Who gets to be the victim...Kei!"

"What?"

Yusuke grins at him and Kei rolls his eyes in response. "Truth or dare?"

"Mm..." He tilts his head to the side, thinking. "Truth. I don't feel like moving."

"Lazy ass," Yusuke retorts. It is clear now that the two interact outside these parties. "How good of a kisser is Mr. Class-president-rijouchou-to-be over there?"

_Very, very, very good._

"Why don't you kiss him yourself and find out?" Kei drawls, and the group laughs.

"Just answer the question, Keisuke!" Mizuki says teasingly.

Kei eyes Nokoru, who turns a bit red, but holds his gaze. "He's...quite good. Sweet." There are a few seconds as Kei looks slowly around the circle, and then his eyes meet mine."Suoh."  
"Dare." I will _not_ let him get to me. The room has gone almost silent. Kei lifts his chin a bit, and looks at me, sizing me up. Then his gaze switches to Shuichi and he smiles.

"Your mouth, his chest, two minutes," Kei lifts a wrist and presses a few buttons on is watch. "Timed."

My mind reels. I've never, never done anything like this. But beside me Shuichi is undoing the buttons on his shirt, revealing a white undershirt beneath, so I swallow and move over to him. Shuichi is relaxed, legs stretched out, weight on his hands. I swing one leg over his and settle myself on his thighs. I can feel the blood moving through my veins, a dull pounding that's making my head swim. I don't think I've ever been as nervous as this. "We're waiting, Suoh-kun," Kei's teasing voice turns the suffix into a mockery and I glance back to attempt a glare. Beside him, Nokoru has gone rigidly still. I force my attention back to Shuichi.

He brings up one hand and runs in through my hair. "Relax," He whispers, and pulls me down for a kiss. He is every bit as good at it as he was last week, and I am panting by the time he pulls away. "Relax," he repeats, and I take a deep breath and slide my fingers beneath the hem of his undershirt, and draw it up until it is bunched up around his shoulders. He leans back on his elbows, and watches me, calm. He has a nice chest, I suppose. Slim, but I can see some muscle, only a small bit of downy hair. I lean forwards, hesitating until I am just centimeters away, then I exhale, softly. Shuichi shivers under me, and arches his back a little, inviting. I swallow, and then take the plunge.

I press kisses along the bottom edge of his ribcage, towards his stomach, and then drag my tounge up the center of his chest. He is breathing harder now, and somewhere in me I take pride in that. I go back to kisses, up, up, to the edge of his undershirt, then skip over it and move to his neck. He tilts his head back obligingly, and I scrape my teeth along the side, and suckle lightly in one spot. I don't want to leave a mark, though, so I stop that and switch back to his chest.

I start to notice little things. Like how one spot a bit under his left nipple makes him toss his head and bite his lips. How he arches under me when I run my hands up and down his sides. How somehow he's moved to lie on the floor with both hands in my hair and how those hands tighten whenever I find a 'good spot'. Like the one just above his hip that makes him curse under his breath and shiver and scrape his nails along my scalp.

I go back to that one a few times.

And then Sabitha quietly calls "Time," and I sit up, and wipe my lips, and roll Shuichi's undershirt back down and climb off him. And now it is him who is flushed and breathless, and he struggles a bit as he sits up, and his hands shake as he does up the buttons on his shirt. And I'm sitting next to him with my mind stuck somewhere around _holy shit I cannot believe I just did that_ which isn't helping matters at all. Then I come back to myself enough to look around and actually notice things. Nokoru is still completely frozen, but it's the look in his eyes that catches my attention. Its the same look he got all those years ago when we first started that...detective stuff.

He's planning something. Something different. And that look sends a shiver down my spine that has nothing to do with fear.


	5. Chapter 5

BK: Alright, here's the next chapter. To warn you, it may be a while before another one comes up, I've been really busy with APs, I have a huge English project that I really don't want to do, and I'm trying to plan stuff for my club at school. to top it off, my cat just died, and I'm still kind of a mess from it. So there's your warning. And I apologize about the cliffhanger.

I don't own.

**Chapter Five**

The room is nearly silent. I am still staring at Nokoru when Yusuke whistles, long and low, apparently impressed. Mizuki giggles, and Shuichi starts to blush. Hana coughs. "Well, _that_ was..." Mizuki giggles harder and Hana gives up. "Suoh, it's your turn."

I run a shaky hand through my hair. "So it is. Yusuke, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Do you have a crush on Yukimi?"

He goes red and mumbles something. Beside him, Yukimi turns and interesting shade of pink, which means I can assume the mumbling was an affirmative. Shuichi leans over and whispers to me, "Playing matchmaker, much?" I shrug, and he gives me a small smile. I am glad to see he has regained his composure, and I relax a bit. But still...what is Nokoru up to?

Yusuke finds his voice long enough to dare Hana and Mizuki to kiss. Mizuki then turns to Nokoru with a little smile. "Dare," he says, before she can ask. She pouts, and then grins.

"Suoh's been having all the fun...why don't you kiss Shuichi for a change?"

And now it is my turn to freeze, as Nokoru lifts his chin and, not once looking at me, crosses the circle and drops to his knees in front of Shuichi's crossed legs. Shuichi blinks a bit, startled, then smiles. Nokoru props his hands on Shuichi's knees and leans forwards. As kisses go, its not particularly passionate. Shuichi doesn't even bother to remove his hands from the floor, they just sit there and kiss. I wait and wait for the violent reaction I got when Kei kissed Nokoru, but it never comes. Instead there is a sort of blank hollowness that starts around my stomach and spreads up into my throat. I cannot look away, though I want to, and in a way the hollowness is worse than the rage. Maybe it's because Nokoru is the aggressor here, though I know it is only a dare. It makes it seem like he's choosing this, choosing Shuichi over me.

It hurts.

Nokoru pulls away and determinedly returns to his seat, leaving a bemused looking Shuichi behind. He sits down, and calls out "Sabitha, dare or dare?". She sends him a sweet smile and says sarcastically:

"Such choices...Dare."

Nokoru twitches his fingers and Sabitha obediently gets up and walks over. He whispers quietly in her ear for a few minutes and when he's finished, she gives him an odd look. He just nods and so she shrugs and goes back to her seat. Everyone stares, including me. "It's for later," is all Nokoru says for explanation, and with that ominous foreshadowing, the game continues. Sabitha sends Yusuke and Yukimi off behind a couch for a bit, and then Yukimi dares _Kei_ and I to kiss which is...disastrous. We both just sit stiffly, me due to discomfort, him due to my whispered threat that any appendages he puts on me he will shortly lose. Never doing that again. Then I had to kiss Mizuki, which was weird. Mizuki dares Sabitha to kiss Kei, and then Sabitha says:

"Nokoru, truth or dare?"

His eyes are calm. "Dare."

She smiles. "Do to Suoh what he had to do to Shuichi."

Yukimi squeaks, and Hana and Mizuki immediately start whispering to each other. I see Kei's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, but all I can feel is a sort of rising panic. I know how badly Shuichi came undone when I did this to him, god only knows how I'm going to react. But Nokoru is up and moving, face determined. He kneels down in front of my crossed legs, and then gently lifts my hands from my lap and moves them till I am leaning back. On the way I shrug my jacket off my shoulders and set it aside. His hands come up and undo the knot on my tie, slide it off and set is on top of my jacket. His fingers come up and rest on the topmost button of my shirt, and then, hesitantly, Nokoru's eyes meet mine. He nibbles on his lip a bit, wavering, and I cannot resist. I thread a hand through his hair and kiss him until I feel his muscles relax. then I pull away and he begins to undo my shirt. Unlike Shuichi, I have nothing beneath, so when he finishes and pushes it off my shoulders, there is nothing but skin. He presses on my chest, gently, and I lie down, stretching my legs out in front of me. Nokoru climbs over to sit on my hips. I lay there, frozen, as his eyes slowly inch down my chest and back up, taking in every dip, every scar. He licks his lips and then leans down. His mouth is warm, the little flicks of his tounge along my bottom rib send shivers through me. He moves back and forth, all along my ribcage, until his lips close over one of my nipples and I let out a squeak and twist my fingers in his hair. Nokoru, of course, then opts to stay there, sending my mind into a tailspin with whispers of god-knows-what coming out of my mouth. Eventually, I can take it no longer and drag him up by his hair for a messy kiss. His fingers trail around my waist before skipping over my stomach to replace his mouth. The double assault makes me squirm and buck under him as his tounge dips into my mouth again and again. Through the haze that has settled in my mind I decide to take revenge. I de-tangle one of my hands from his hair, slide it around to his side and, after a few fumbles, twist my fingers.

Nokoru squeaks, jumps, and nearly bites my tounge off.

I continue tickling him, his giggles muffled in my shoulder, as I slide my other hand down to wrap around one of his wrists. I pull that hand off my chest and remove my fingers from his side. He gasps for breath and scowls at me, though it is completely ruined by his flushed cheeks and bruised lips. "That was cruel, Suoh."

"Tough," I respond. I pull his head back down and he bypasses my lips to skim his own over my neck. He licks a path from my jawline, heading back to my chest but I twist a hand in his hair and growl. "Don't you dare."

"Spoilsport," he huffs, but moves onto my stomach. His mouth glides down the center of my chest, past my diaphragm, and on to the more sensitive tissue around my bellybutton. I am not nearly as ticklish as Nokoru, but the warm breaths of air and little nuzzles have my stomach involuntarily twitching as I try to contain my laughter. Nokoru shifts above me, and I cannot figure out what he is doing until he lies stomach-side down between my legs, props himself up on his elbows (which are right next to my hips), and moves from nuzzles to long, luxurious licks. I am now shaking for an entirely different reason. He continues moving southward, past my bellybutton, and _tugs at the waistband of my pants_ so that he can suckle on the skin just above it. I tighten my grip on his hair, trying to hide how much my hands are shaking. Finally, _finally_, Sabitha calls time. I promptly haul Nokoru up and kiss him, knotting my fingers in his hair and trying to taste every inch of his mouth at once. "You," I manage between kisses, "little, _teasing_--"

Someone giggles and Nokoru somehow tears himself away, gasping. He straightens his hair and shirt, and pries my hands from his arms to return to his seat, but not before I see his face. He's got a cat-licking-creme-off-its-whiskers expression, damn him, which means whatever he was planning it must've gone well.I pull my shirt back on, eyes on Nokoru. I am panting, breathless, my hands tremble as I do up the buttons. I want, oh, god, I want to just go over there and drag him off away from all these _people_, to somewhere, anywhere and just...

Control. _Control._

I take a deep breath, cross my legs and sit the way I was before, hands in my lap. I've missed whatever Nokoru dared, or truthed, everyone is focused on Hana,w ho is talking about...something. I don't care. I lower my gaze and watch Nokoru through my lashes. Though at first he appears to be listening to Hana like everyone else, slowly, he sits back, looks down, his attention elsewhere. As I watch, his eyes go dreamlike, he licks his lips, tasting, and his eyes flutter closed. One hand comes up, fingers gently press against swollen lips.

He is thinking about me. I know it. The idea sends a shiver of excitement through my chest. I am torn from my contemplations by Sabitha clearing her throat. "Well," she begins, "as entertaining as this little game has been, I think it's time we step things up a bit." The excited glances and mummers that spread through the group tell me they all know what's coming. My heart pounds. I am divided between excitement and dread. Sabitha looks around, staring at each of us in turn. Then she gets up, opens a cabinet, and pulls out a bowl, some pieces of paper, and a few pencils. "Everyone, please write your name on a slip of paper, fold it, and put it in the bowl. We're going to play seven minutes in heaven."

My fingers shake as I accept paper and pencil from Shuichi. This game could go extremely well, or extremely badly, depending on who draws me and who I draw. I fold the slip of paper in half and drop it in the bowl when it's passed to me. When everyone has entered their names, Sabitha puts the bowl in the middle of the circle. "Me first!" chirps Hana, and she rustles through the bowl, pulling out one piece of paper. "Mizuki-chaaaaaaaaan..." Mizuki flicks her hair over her shoulder and the two disappear into a small supply closet at the back of the room. Sabitha pushes up her sleeve to check her watch.

"Do you want to time them, Kei? or shall I?"

"I'll do it," he says, pressing buttons on his watch. "There's an actual timer on here somewhere."

The next seven minutes pass in awkward almost-silence. Yusuke and Yukimi talk quietly but other then that there is little noise. When Kei's watch beeps, Sabitha gets up, flicks on the light switch for the closet, and bangs on the door. "Time's up!" she calls. "Get back out here or I'm coming in!" Mizuki and Hana tumble out a few seconds later, hair and clothes mussed, cheeks flushed, sending each other little half smiles. Kei goes next, drawing (to everyone's amusement) Yusuke. Yusuke protests loudly all the way into the closet, but shortly thereafter shuts up. He comes back out beet red and quiet, with a smug looking Kei trailing behind. Something in me relaxes when Kei sits back down. He didn't get Nokoru. Yukimi gets to the bowl before anyone else announces their turn and draws...Shuichi. He gets up, ignoring Yusuke's glares, and obediently follows her in. While they're gone, I make my decision.

"I'd like to go next," I say, breaking the silence. Sabitha nods in my direction.

"Alright." A few minutes later, she again gets up and bangs on the door, and the two come back out. They all sit down and I reach into the bowl. I can feel Nokoru's eyes on me as I rifle through the papers.

_Please. Please please please..._

I draw one out, open it. Put it down. "Sabitha."

She gets to her feet and shakes the wrinkles out of her skirt. "Kei-chan, be a dear and hit the door when our time is up? Thanks."

Nokoru's eyes follow me all the way into the closet.

It's awfully dark in here. I blink, rapidly, trying to discern shapes. My hands feel behind me from the door, to the wall, to some...shelves, it feels like. "Um...Winner-san?"

"Shh..." Light touch on my shoulders and I tense. Her lips come up and press against mine, but all I feel is a vague, awkward, is-she-done-yet? sensation. Sabitha pulls away and I am struck with the urge to say something. Anything. She beats me to it. "You really aren't attracted to girls, are you Suoh-kun?"

_...This is unexpected._

"Apparently not, " I manage. "...I'm sorry?"

"Oh, don't apologize, you twat," there is a click and light floods the closet. It appears there is a switch inside as well. I am indeed leaning against shelves, which spread around and cover the whole left side of the closet, and stop halfway up the right, where there is a small work-counter next to the door. Sabitha hops up to sit on the counter, and pats the spot next to her. Seeing no reason to refuse, I join her. "So," she says conversationally, "you like boys. Nokoru-chan, specifically."

I am torn between anger and embarrassment. "Is it that obvious?"

She blinks at me. "Well, I'm _looking_ for it, Suoh-kun, so it is to me. I don't know about anyone else. Regardless, you do like him?"

"Yes. Very much."

"Wonderful!" Sabitha beams at me. "Now what are you going to do about it?"

I open my mouth to answer but...nothing comes out. I swallow and try again. "I don't ...really know. I started with this, these parties, but..." I sigh, frustrated. "I don't know."

"Do you know if he likes you?"

I laugh. "Yes. Yes, _that_ I know."

Sabitha tilts her head to the side. "How?"

I give her the short version. "A few weeks ago, I tried to take a nap during a break in council duties. Nokoru thought I was a sleep, and he put my jacket over my shoulders and... kissed me. And said he loved me."

"He loves you?" Her voice is surprised. "Oh, my. Do you...?"

I stare at the shelves across from us. "I think so...yes. I can't stand having him with anyone else, I either get jealous, or...it hurts."

Sabitha mulls that over for a bit. I gently drum my heels against the cabinet below us. "Suoh," she begins. "Plea -"

We are abruptly plunged into darkness. "Time's up, lovebirds!" Kei yells. Sabitha sighs and turns the lights back on. Then she turns to me.

"Please be careful with this, Suoh-kun. I admit, I don't know Nokoru-chan very well, but... I get the feeling that if he even once entertains the thought that you don't love him, or that you to can't be together, I don't think he'll allow a relationship to begin. So just... be careful." She smiles. "I do want to see you both happy." I nod, and she opens the door. "Time to come out of the closet!" she whispers to me, teasing. I am a kick at her, but she's already sashaying out into the room, joking with Kei. I can do nothing but follow. I walk back into the room, steadily ignoring all the eyes that follow. I return to my seat and again fold my hands in my lap. I look over to the side and Shuichi is staring at me.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing, nothing," he says dismissively. "Who's going next?"

"_I_ am," announces Yusuke, and he reaches for the bowl. He glances at the paper he pulls out, gives a yell of joy, and drags Yukimi into the closet. Ten minutes later both Sabitha and Kei are pounding on the door and threatening to open it whether the couple is decent or not when Yukimi and Yusuke finally come back out. The quartet returns to the circle amidst Kei's grumbles, and then both Mizuki and Shuichi say:

"My turn!"

Hana dissolves into giggles as the two mock glare at each other. Finally, Shuichi holds out one fist. A quick game of rock-paper-scissors later and Mizuki is humming while she flicks through the remaining four slips of paper. "I'll go with...this one!" she chirps, holding it aloft. "And the lucky one is...Nokoru-chaaaaaaaaaaan!"

Instantly he goes from quiet-and-and-melting-into-the-background to Prince Charming himself. He smiles at Mizuki warmly, takes her hand and, chatting the whole way, leads her to the closet where he gallantly holds the door. I want to throw something at him. Maybe a chair. After everything else that's happened at these parties, seeing him act like his 'normal' self seems so... faked. God, I can't believe I ever thought he was straight. I can't believe no one's guessed. Maybe the girls wont let anyone guess. That's probably it. Fangirls are scary.

After (quite possibly) the longest seven minutes of my life, Sabitha gets up and raps smartly on the closet door. Almost instantly, it opens. I notice with relief that, while Mizuki is blushing, neither of them have mussed clothes, bruised lips, or other signs of a well-spent seven minutes. Nokoru gracefully walks Mizuki to her seat, and then returns to his own. Our eyes meet briefly and he gives me a small smile.

"My turn," says Shuichi, and he snags a slip of paper from the bowl. After reading he gets up, stretches languidly, and smiles. "Kei." Kei's eyes slide up and down Shuichi's body as he gets to his feet and with a jolt I realize they're flirting. I hardly notice the time pass as I try to figure out what that means for Kei's interest in Nokoru. Is it over? Will he stop? Was he ever truly interested in Nokoru in the first place? I come to no conclusions, and before I know it, Shuichi is again sitting down beside me, cheeks flushed, his shirt buttons done all wrong, a dazed look on his face. He catches me staring and mouths, _jealous?_

I shake my head. _Shirt._

He glances down, goes a darker shade of red, and begins to repair the damage.

"Suoh. _Suoh."_ Sabitha is calling me. I look over at her.

"What?" She looks across the circle and I follow her gaze. Nokoru is kneeling by the bowl, a small slip of paper in his hands. He swallows and says softly,

"Suoh."


	6. Chapter 6

BK: Here it is, folks. The final chapter. Unless I get an incredible response of people begging for a lemon, it ends here. sighs My first completed story. sniff I'm so proud!

**Giving In**

**Chapter Six**

Shakily, I get to my feet. Nokoru crumples the slip of paper, tucks it in his pocket and rises as well. The room is very quiet, as though everyone is holding their breath. I walk to the back of the room and pull open the closet door. I turn to Nokoru, waiting. My insides are tight with nervousness. I don't know what's going to happen. Slowly, Nokoru comes out of the circle and comes over towards me. He hesitates for a second, just outside the closet door, and then walks in. I follow, and shut the door behind me.

Seven minutes.

I'd better make the most of it.

I hear Nokoru inhale. "You know, Suoh, we don't have to--" he begins. I step forward until I can slide my hands around his waist and pull him to me.

"Nokoru," I say quietly, "Shut up."

Then I kiss him. And it's _good_.

He's pressed up against me, my arms all the way round his waist, one comes up to rest between his shoulder blades. He stands there, letting me kiss him, his hands just resting on my shoulders, until I untuck the back of his shirt to slide my hand along the skin of the small of his back. It's like flicking a switch: all of a sudden he's kissing me back and his hands have a death grip on my shirt, and its sloppy and messy and he's probably going to leave bruises but I don't care because all that matters is the taste and the smell and the _feel_--

Nokoru pulls away from the kiss, panting for air, his head tilted back and I can't resist. I dip my head down and press my lips to the side of his neck, trailing kisses and licks while he gasps for breath. My hand is fisted in his shirt, the other runs back and forth around his waist. His hands are clenched in my hair and his chest heaves against mine as he breathes. "S-Suoh..." I walk him backward until he is trapped between me and the work desk. I press harder against him and slide one knee between his thighs as I kiss him again. He bucks up against me, hands tightening in my hair as my lounge curls around his. This time I'm the one that breaks the kiss and I bring both hands forward to undo the buttons on his shirt. "Suoh--"

"Shh..." I nuzzle him, dropping little kisses around his mouth as my fingers fumble with the buttons. I finally get his shirt most of the way open and slide my hands inside to skim over silky skin, tracing the edges of his ribs and brushing along the contours of his stomach. He gasps at the first touch and I kiss him again - hard. He drags his nails up my back, I feel it even through jacket and shirt, and then rocks his hips against mine. I abandon his chest to clutch at the sides of his hips as I trail kisses along the other side of his neck. I pull him to me, clamp my lips on the delicate skin of his neck and bite. _Mine_.

Nokoru arches against me and gasps out "_Suoh!"_

I will never, never be able to hear him say my name again. Not without remembering this.

I leave two more marks as he gasps and shudders before pulling him back in for a kiss. My hands go back to running up and down his bare sides and he tangles his own in my hair. Its incredible. Perfect, endless heaven.

And then the light turns on.

Nokoru freezes, and then jerks away. He looks... thoroughly ravished and a bubble of pride forms beneath my ribcage as I stare at him. His shirt is half open, and falling of his left shoulder. His chest is heaving. Three bright red marks dot his lower neck and I lick my lips, remembering how it felt to make them. His lips are bruised and glistening, and his hair goes in every direction. He is blushing. _I did this. I made him this way. He looks like that because of..._

There is a knock on the door and Nokoru jumps, then starts buttoning his shirt, not looking at me. "We'll--" he clears his throat and tries again. "We'll be out in a minute." Nokoru has finished doing up his shirt, and is running his hands through his hair in an attempt to neaten it. I tug at my own shirt and don't bother with my hair. I should say something, I know I should, but when Nokoru opens the door and steps back out into the room, I tuck my hands in my pockets and silently follow.

He does not look at me for the rest of the night.

--

I am late to council the next day. I had stayed after class to speak to my teacher, and then got held up by a group of girls, to whom I could be nothing less than polite, of course, and this all resulted in my arriving at the council room about forty five minutes after I was supposed to. Ijyuin and Nokoru are already inside, Ijyuin flipping through folders and clearly absorbed in calculating some budget or another. Nokoru sits at his desk, writing. The room is silent. I shut the door behind me and Ijyuin looks up. "Good afternoon, Sempai!" he chirps.

"Good afternoon," I respond, and set my bag on my desk. I have half-shrugged my jacket off when Nokoru says quietly:

"Good afternoon, Takemura-san."

Both Ijyuin and I freeze, and something sharp and icy forms in my stomach. "Ijyuin. Go take the summer festival files to the store room, please.

He blinks. "But, they're not--"

"_Now_." My voice is flat, cold. I hardly recognize it. Ijyuin scurries out and I settle my jacket back on my shoulders. Then I turn around, walk over to Nokoru, and brace my hands on his desk, facing him. "Since _when_," I growl, "have you _ever _called me 'Takemura-san'." I practically spit the last words at him and he flinches, ever so slightly. But this is Nokoru and, appearance notwithstanding, he knows how to hold his own in a fight.

He lifts his chin, and continues signing and stamping papers. "Weren't you the one who was saying I needed to conduct myself more professionally? I've been quite lazy in it lately."

That hurts. And what's worse is that I _know_ its intentional. My hands curl into fits and I open my mouth to bite out a reply, though all I want to do is grab him and shake him and ask what the hell he thinks he's doing, and that's when I see them. Half-covered by the edge of his collar are two dark pink marks and then all I can think of is-

-_-arms around me soft skin and warmth from hips to shoulders kisses that taste of creamy tea and gold strands of hair mixed with my own the taste of sweat-warm skin on my tongue gasps and moans_

_"Suoh!"_

I shake myself from the memory and try to bring my mind back to the matter at hand. "That was in reference to you infernal habit of avoiding your paperwork until the very last minute and you know it." My voice wavers, but it's getting stronger. "It had nothing to do with us."

Nokoru's eyes are as hard as the gems they've been said to resemble. "I've already ceased that 'infernal habit' as you can see. Things are going to have to be different."

The ice has spread through my chest and hovers in the back of my throat. "Clearly." My voice is strained. "I'm sorry, Imonoyama-sama, I shouldn't have implied such disrespect." Nokoru flinches again at the title. He is no longer meeting my eyes."I was mistaken as to the closeness of our relationship. I will not do so again." I turn on my heel and am heading for my desk when he speaks again.

"What do you want from me, Suoh?" I look back and his head is down, shoulders sagging.

"The _truth_," I insist, going back to his desk. "Dammit, Nokoru, what brought this on? When did you suddenly decide to... to..." I gesture helplessly and then give up. He puts his head in his hands.

"It's just happening to fast. I thought I knew you, Suoh. Then all of a sudden you've broken up with Nagisa and are coming to parties and..." His cheeks are bright red. The ice fades.

"...Kissing you?" I finish. He nods, and runs a hand through his hair.

"You've never acted like this, ever. And then last night... I don't know, I panicked. I thought maybe I could distance you for a bit until I could figure out what was going on." Nokoru chuckles weakly. "That backfired spectacularly."

I come around to sit on the edge of his desk, next to him. "If it's any consolation, your plans rarely do. Just don't try this again, please."

He leans back in his chair and smiles at me. "Alright, Suoh, I won't." He sighs, and shifts his gaze to the ceiling. We sit in silence for a while, then I grit my teeth, take Sabitha's advice, and tell him.

"I was awake."

Confused blue eyes focus on me."Huh?"

My stomach starts on a roller coaster ride. "That day, a couple weeks ago?" It twists and drops, but I finish. "I was awake."

Nokoru frowns, thinking, and then his eyes get very very wide and he goes rigid. Hurriedly, I keep talking.

"I didn't know what to do--you weren't acting any different. Then Sabitha invited you to those Friday night things and I just--"

"And Nagisa? Did you break up with her because of... that?" His voice is back to the harsh tone he was using earlier.

"Yes and no." I have to tread cautiously--I don't want him to think this is just experimentation or something. "Everything I said about our reasons for breaking up was true. I had been feeling like the relationship was forced and frozen, and she felt the same way. However... I don't think I would have made myself break up with her so soon if you hadn't..." _kissed me and made me realize that maybe, just maybe, I can make this damn thing work._ I swallow and fix my gaze on the windows behind his desk. I can feel myself blushing. "I'd... I'd been thinking about you for months, but I kept telling myself to forget it because you had obligations and weren't interested anyway--"

Again he cuts me off. "Thinking about me... how?"

I clench my fingers around the edge of the desk and look at my feet. "Wanting," I whisper, and I hear his breath hitch. "You were always watching me and sometimes I'd see this heat in your eyes... I always dismissed it later. But then..." I sigh. "I didn't really mean for it to be so confusing to you, but I didn't have a plan when I asked Sabitha if I could tag along. All I knew was that I didn't want some other guy getting the chance to put his hands all over you without me being there to..." I growl in frustration, "I don't know, beat him up or something."

Nokoru giggles, and I let out a weak chuckle. Then I turn to him and ask: "Why didn't you keep your promise?"

He blinks at me, then laughs. "So _that's_ why you were so insistent!" Then he quiets, and continues. "I didn't really think I had a chance yet. You're damn confusing, you know that? I wasn't sure if it was just for fun or if you were really interested. And I was terrified that I would guess wrong and lose your friendship and respect. Besides, we still don't know if its even possible for us to..." he goes a bit pink and glances at me. I nod, trying to look as encouraging as possible, and a little smile spreads across his face. "...to be together. I haven't said a word to my family, have you?"

I hesitate. "It's on my to do list." Meaning I'm scared for the length of my life expectancy when my mother hears she won't be getting grandchildren. I'm good, but I'm not that good. Nokoru, naturally, reads all this from my expression and gives me a sympathetic smile.

And then the phone rings. We both jump. Nokoru clears his throat and picks up the phone. "Hello, High School Student Council Office--" he chokes. "Oh! Er, yes...certainly, but..." Nokoru takes the phone away from his ear and stares at it, perplexed. I wait patiently for him to explain. "My...mother's dropping by."

"Is that good or bad?" I ask.

"I don't know."

"Well," I reason, "I suppose we'll find out, then."

Nokoru looks vaguely uncomfortable. "Your mother's with her."

I freeze. "...They found out. They must have."

His eyes go sharp. "How?"

"Maybe some of the girls gossiped. And Nagisa knows I lo-- have feelings for you." _Please don't catch that slip, we can't deal with it right now!_ "I don't think she'd tell, but--"

There's a knock on the door. We stare at it. "That was fast," Nokoru mutters, and we both stand up. He straightens a few things and then calls out, "Come in!"

The door swings open and in sweep the two most powerful people in our lives. Nokoru's mother, the Rijouchou, resplendent in a formal kimono and carrying an intricate fan, and my mother, in a simpler kimono, but likely armed to the teeth. Nokoru comes out from behind the desk and bows low. I follow and do the same. Nokoru gestures to the couches and chairs where we usually have tea and we all sit down. Once our mothers have settled, Nokoru speaks. "May I inquire as to the reason for this visit? It was rather sudden."

"And also necessary," says my mother. She is staring right at me with that _look_ of hers that makes me want to kneel on the floor and apologize for whatever stupid thing I've done now. She's in business mode--this is not the sweet, quiet woman I see every day, this is a member of the Takemura clan on a mission. I grit my teeth and stare back.

"It has come to my attention," says the Rijouchou softly, "that Nokoru-san has not been entirely honest with me."

I sense Nokoru tensing. "Not entirely honest about what, Rijouchou-sama?" Despite the charged feeling in the room, Nokoru appears relaxed, his tone smooth and calm. I feel a rush of pride.

The Rijouchou's eyes are focused on him. "About your plans for the future."

Caught. This is exactly what I was afraid of.

The Rijouchou continues. "I'm very disappointed in you, Nokoru-san. I thought I had raised a son with his priorities in the proper places."

Nokoru's fists clench, but he stays silent. Then there is an irritated sigh from the doorway. "Rijouchou-sama, Takemura-san, you're scaring them." Utako Okawa, Ijyuin's girlfriend, is standing in the doorway, hands propped on her hips. "I didn't tell you so you could scare them." She turns to us. "What they're mad about is that you didn't tell them anything, you just assumed they'd say no."

...Say _what_?

"Nokoru-san," says the Rijouchou, her voice the softest and warmest it has ever been. "I know what you thought I expected of you, and I did expect it. But not, my son, at the expense of your happiness."

Nokoru looks stunned. He opens his mouth, pauses, then closes it again. I never thought I'd see him speechless twice.

"It is not common for a Takemura to develop feelings for their 'one'." My mother is back to her normal, delicate self, and I feel myself relax a bit. "But no Takemura has ever found their 'one' quite as early as Suoh found Nokoru-san."

"Then, this..." I've never heard Nokoru so hesitant. "This is okay?"

They nod and Nokoru leans back into the couch, still looking slightly surprised. I push my own surprise to the side and focus on Utako. "Why are you here? And how did _you_ know?"

"Nagisa," she says promptly. "That girl can't keep a secret from _me_. Plus I'm friends with Kyoko Takahara, Mitzuki Takahara's younger sister, so I knew all the juicy gossip from the parties that Nagisa didn't know. Then today Akira-kun comes running to me saying that 'Takemura-sempai had kicked him out of the council room and looked ready to kill Kaichou and he didn't know what to do!'" She imitates Ijyuin's panicked-but-still-polite tone perfectly. "I'd already heard what had happened last night and could guess what all of it was about. So I hauled--" she glances at the two mothers, "--derrière up to the Rijouchou's office and told her everything."

"And she called me," my mother picks up the story. "And we decided that we simply couldn't let our sons throw away their relationship just because of a few pre-conceived notions about their parents." She smiles sweetly and out of the corner of my eye I see Nokoru relax and smile back. I automatically tense.

And a good thing too.

By the time my mother takes her hand out of the sleeve of her kimono, I am already up. Ten seconds later there are four kunai on the floor and two more embedded in the coffee table. Shuriken dot the front of Ijyuin's desk. Nokoru is pressed against the back of the couch with me in front of him, and both Imonoyamas look a bit scared.

I relax my stance. "Mother," I growl, "This is not the time!"

She just keeps that infuriating smile on her face and says "It is always the time for training. Assassins and kidnappers are not going to wait because you are in the middle of an important conversation."

It is useless to argue with her so I just glare and go to pull the shuriken out of Ijyuin's desk. We'll have to get it repaired--I hope he doesn't mind. On my way back to the couch I see that the Rijouchou is calm but Nokoru is looking fearfully at me. "What?" I say. "I told you my mother takes training seriously."

"You never said she was prone to surprise attacks," says Nokoru shakily.

I sit down with an exasperated huff. "See, this is why we always have tea at _your_ house. She's attacked me then, too."

Nokoru blinks a bit. "I see."

"You're not very good at calming people down, Suoh-san," Utako chimes from the doorway.

"One of his few faults," my mother murmurs, and the Rijouchou cracks a smile. I glare at the younger girl.

"Why are you still here? Go tell Ijyuin everything's fine or something."

She sniffs (offended, probably, but I don't care), turns on her heel, and leaves. I sit back down next to Nokoru and return my attention to the women on the other couch. For a little while no one says anything, and then Nokoru speaks.

"So... Now what?"

The Rijouchou arches an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Nokoru-san?"

He gives an irritated sigh and leans back against the cushions, formality gone. "I mean 'now what?'. Do Suoh and I announce that we're dating? Do we keep it secret? Is he still allowed to spend the night in my room on sleepovers or will you insist on him being put in a guest room? Can he be my date at formal functions or no? Can I dance with him at formal functions?" Nokoru gestures a bit. "You know, 'now what?'"

The Rijouchou glances at my mother, who smiles. "It is your family that has the social reputation to up hold. As long as the decision is acceptable to my Suoh, it is acceptable to me." The Rijouchou nods and turns to Nokoru.

"Whether or not to make your relationship public is your and Suoh-san's decision, you will have my support either way. I will caution you that should you, ah, 'come out', it may effect business relations, even though it shouldn't. However, if your relationship is kept secret and discovered later, the fact it was secret could also have a negative effect. How open your relationship is will decide how you and Suoh-san appear in public. I will leave the... physical aspect of your relationship up to what the two of you are comfortable with. You are an adult, Nokoru-san, and Suoh-san is every bit as mature, despite being a year younger." The Rijouchou tilts her head to look at Nokoru though lowered lashes. "Does that answer your question?"

Nokoru sits up straight and brushes his bangs out of his eyes. "More or less. Shall I inform you when Suoh and I make a decision about how public our relationship will be?'

She nods. "Please do. Now, if Suoh-san has no questions," I shake my head, "then I believe Takemura-san and I can go. Thank you for entertaining us."

Nokoru and I both stand and bow again, and our mothers leave. After the door shuts behind them, there are a few seconds of just the birds chirping outside our open window and then Nokoru collapses onto the couch. "Well, that was..." he chuckles a bit.

"Unexpected?' I finish. He nods and I sit down next to him.

He looks over at me and says quietly, "So, how do you want to do this?"

I lean into the couch and tilt my head back to stare at the ceiling. "I don't think we need to make a big deal out of it. We shouldn't hide, obviously, but we don't need to make an announcement."

Nokoru shifts until he is facing me and I look over at him. "So, tell our friends..."

"Tell our family," I say with some feeling and he giggles.

"Tell our family," he repeats, "and...?"

"If anyone asks, tell the truth," I continue, "but keep public affection somewhat limited. I don't know the press as well as you, but I think if _we_ don't make a huge deal out of it and our friends and family don't either, and we don't agree to do any interviews solely about our relationship, we should be okay."

Nokoru nods, and we sit in silence of a little while. "So..." he says finally. "Do I get a kiss now?"

My chest fills with fluttering warmth. I shift closer and whisper, "I don't know. Do you want one?"

His eyes are so very, very blue. "Yes," he whispers back. "Yes, I do." I reach a hand up and tug him close.

"In that case," I murmur, "yes, you get a kiss now." And then I lean forward and press my lips to his.

--

owari


End file.
